Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) and Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance (ATAA) help trade-affected workers who have lost their jobs as a result of increased imports or shifts in production out of the United States. Certified individuals may be eligible to receive one or more program benefits and services depending on what is needed to return them to employment.           Accessing TAA and ATAA Services and Benefits TAA Program Services and Benefits ATAA Program Benefits Appeal Rights for Services and Benefits Other Training Opportunities and Reemployment Services         Accessing TAA and ATAA Services and Benefits       To obtain TAA or ATAA services and benefits, a group of workers must first file a petition with the U.S. Department of Labor's Division of Trade Adjustment Assistance (DTAA) requesting certification as workers adversely affected by foreign trade. If certified, each worker in the group may then apply separately for individual services and benefits through their local One-Stop Career Center. Workers age 50 and older who are certified as eligible to apply for both TAA and ATAA may choose whether to participate in the TAA program or the ATAA program, but may not participate in both. Workers can find the One-Stop Career Center closest to them by calling 1-877-US2-JOBS toll-free, 1-877-889-5627 (TTY), or by using America's Service Locator.             TAA Program Services and Benefits       TAA program benefits and services are provided to help eligible workers get back to work. Certified workers who apply for TAA services and benefits may be eligible for the following: Rapid Response Assistance - provided by the Dislocated Worker Unit in the state where workers are laid off. Rapid Response assistance is provided to every group of workers on whose behalf a petition is filed. Rapid Response staff will make employees aware of the different services available to workers after a layoff is announced, and if provided before a petition is filed, Rapid Response will include information on the process of petitioning for certification under the TAA and ATAA programs. Learn more about Rapid Response. Reemployment Services - offer workers assistance in finding a new job. Many TAA-eligible workers will be able to return to employment through a combination of these services. For individuals who require retraining, these services will help identify appropriate training programs, and help them obtain reemployment at the conclusion of the training program. To ensure workers are referred to appropriate job openings and placed in jobs that utilize their highest skills, the following services are generally provided through One-Stop Career Centers: Employment counseling Resume writing and Interview skills workshops Career assessment Job development Job search programs Job referrals Job Search Allowances - may be payable to cover expenses incurred in seeking employment outside a certified worker's normal commuting area, if a suitable job is not available in the area. Job search allowances reimburse 90% of the total costs of allowable travel and subsistence, up to a total of $1,250. Important Deadlines: An application for a job search allowance must be submitted before a job search begins. Applications may be submitted prior to certification, but will only be approved if the worker group is certified. An application for a job search allowance must be submitted before the 365th day after the layoff or certification, whichever is later, or 182 days after the conclusion of training. Relocation Allowances - may reimburse approved expenses when certified workers must move to a new area of employment outside their normal commuting area. Relocation allowances may include: 90% of the reasonable and necessary expenses of moving workers who have secured employment outside of their normal commuting area, their families and their household goods. The amount will be reduced if the worker is entitled to reimbursement from other sources. A lump sum payment equal to three times the worker's average weekly wage (but no more than $1,250) to help them get settled. Important Deadlines: Requests for relocation allowances must be submitted before the relocation begins. Applications may be submitted prior to certification, but will only be approved if the worker group is certified. An application for a relocation allowance must be submitted before the 425th day after the layoff or certification, whichever is later, or 182 days after the conclusion of training. Training - is provided to certified workers who do not have the skills to secure suitable employment in the existing labor market. Training is targeted to a specific occupation and provided to help certified workers secure employment at a skill level similar to or higher than their layoff employment, and sustain that employment at the best wage available. Based on the individual's existing skills and labor market conditions, training will be of the shortest duration necessary to return the individual to employment, with a maximum duration of 104 weeks. Individuals who require remedial education in order to complete occupational training may be eligible for an additional 26 weeks of training. Allowable types of training include: 1) classroom training; 2) on the-job training; 3) customized training designed to meet the needs of a specific employer or group of employers; 4) basic or remedial education, which may include training in literacy or English as a second language. Workers eligible for cash benefits under the U.S. Department of Agriculture's TAA for Farmers and Fishermen program are eligible for training under this program. For detailed information on TAA for Farmers and Fishermen visit the USDA website. In order for an individual to receive training, six approval criteria must be met. There is no suitable employment for the worker. The worker would benefit from appropriate training. There is a reasonable expectation of employment following training. Training must be reasonably available to the worker. The worker is qualified to obtain and complete the training, including having adequate financial resources available to complete the training when income support is exhausted. The training is suitable and available at a reasonable cost. Income Support - Trade Readjustment Allowances (TRA) - are available to provide income support to individuals while they are participating in full time training. Under certain circumstances TRA is also available to certified workers for whom training is not feasible or appropriate. TRA benefits are defined in two (2) categories: Basic TRA and Additional TRA. Each category has its own set of eligibility requirements. Basic TRA is payable if the worker is enrolled or participating in TAA training, has completed such training, or has obtained a waiver of such training requirement. Additional TRA is payable only if the worker is participating in TAA approved training. In general, certified workers may be eligible for 104 weeks of income support, usually broken out as follows: Normally 26 weeks of state unemployment insurance (UI) compensation, Followed by 26 weeks of basic TRA, and Up to 52 weeks of additional TRA to assist the worker in completing a TAA training program. Exception: Certified workers who must undergo remedial education as a part of his/her training plan may be eligible for up to 26 weeks additional weeks of additional TRA for any weeks the individual must undergo remedial education. The worker is eligible for one week of these 26 weeks for each week that the worker's participation in remedial education extends their training program. Important Deadlines: Within 8 weeks of certification or 16 weeks of the most recent qualifying separation workers must be enrolled in approved training, or have a valid waiver, to receive TRA. In order to qualify for additional TRA, an individual must have submitted a bona fide application for training within 210 days of their layoff or of the certification, whichever is later. Training Waivers Under TAA - Under certain circumstances, eligible workers may be waived from participating in training and still receive Basic TRA. One of the following conditions must exist for training to be determined not feasible or appropriate and thus, waived: Worker will be recalled reasonably soon; The worker has marketable skills for suitable employment and a reasonable expectation of employment in the foreseeable future; The worker is within two years of eligibility for a pension or social security; The worker is unable to participate in or complete training due to the health of the worker; Immediate enrollment is not available; or No training program is available. Notes: Waivers are reviewed every 30 days. Additional TRA is not payable during waiver status (the worker must be in training). Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC) - Workers who are eligible to receive income support under the TAA program may be eligible to receive tax credits for 65% of the monthly health insurance premium they pay. Qualifying insurance coverage includes COBRA, state COBRA, continuing individual coverage or other state-qualified plans. For detailed information on HCTC, and a list of state-qualified health plans, visit the Internal Revenue Service website.         Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance (ATAA) Program Benefits       Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance (ATAA) program benefits are provided as an alternative to the benefits offered under the regular TAA program. Participation in ATAA allows older workers, for whom retraining may not be appropriate, to accept reemployment at a lower wage and receive a wage subsidy. Certified workers who apply for ATAA may be eligible for the following:           Rapid Response Assistance - provided by the Dislocated Worker Unit in the state where workers are laid off. Rapid Response assistance is provided to every group of workers on whose behalf a petition is filed. Rapid Response staff will make employees aware of the different services available to workers after a layoff is announced, and if provided before a petition is filed, Rapid Response will include information on the process of petitioning for certification under the TAA and ATAA programs. Learn more about Rapid Response. Reemployment Services - offer workers assistance in finding a new job. Workers who wish to qualify for benefits under the ATAA program may be able to quickly return to employment through a combination of these services. To ensure workers are referred to appropriate job openings and placed in jobs that utilize their highest skills, the following services are generally provided through One-Stop Career Centers: Employment counseling Resume writing and Interview skills workshops Career assessment Job development Job search programs Job referrals Wage Subsidy - Eligible workers age 50 or older who obtain new, full-time employment at wages of less than $50,000 within 26 weeks of their separation may receive a wage subsidy of 50% of the difference between the old and new wages, up to $10,000 paid over a period of up to two years. Note: A worker receiving a wage subsidy under the ATAA program may not receive benefits under the TAA program. Important Deadline: To qualify for ATAA a worker must obtain qualifying reemployment within 26 weeks of layoff. This remains true even if the certification is not issued until after the 26 weeks have passed. Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC) - Workers who are receiving the wage subsidy under the ATAA program may be eligible to receive tax credits for 65% of the monthly health insurance premium they pay. Qualifying insurance coverage includes COBRA, state COBRA, continuing individual coverage or other state-qualified plans. For detailed information on HCTC, and a list of state-qualified health plans, visit the Internal Revenue Service website.         Appeal Rights for Services and Benefits       All TAA and ATAA services and benefits have different deadlines and individual eligibility criteria. Certified workers must meet the criteria under each benefit to receive that benefit. If certified workers are dissatisfied with the determinations of their individual applications for reemployment services or benefits, they have the same appeal rights as those provided under their state UI law. The determination notice that certified workers receive after filing their applications for each benefit will explain their appeal rights and time limits for filing appeals.             Other Training Opportunities and Reemployment Services       Workers who do not qualify for TAA reemployment services and benefits may be eligible for services under the WIA Dislocated Worker program, or other programs which may be accessible through a local One-Stop Career Center. Workers can find the One-Stop Career Center closest to them by calling 1-877-US2-JOBS toll-free, 1-877-889-5627 (TTY), or by using America's Service Locator).

Find it! in DOL Compliance Assistance Resources Find it! in ETA Compliance Assistance Other Topics TAA/ATAA Petition Application Process Searchable Listing of Determinations TAA Program Services and Benefits ATAA Program Benefits Other Training Opportunities and Reemployment Services Resources TAA Statistics Find a One Stop Career Center Contacts

Created: March 27, 2004 Updated: July 20, 2007

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Fwd: Great work proposition(careerbuilder’s resume)

SCAM ALERT

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Robert Green <Tumba.group.job@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Aug 27, 2008 at 2:00 PM
Subject: Great work proposition(careerbuilder's resume)
To: klehrke@gmail.com




Hi!

In this letter we would like to offer you a position of Personal Shopping
Assistant. But first let us introduce our company. Tumba Group Inc. is a large
international company working with electronic money transfers. And we are
looking for new employees!

The so-called PS trade sector has been growing rapidly all these years. It was
connected with differences in the range of goods offered in different countries.
It is common that one can see a certain article in the store in one state while
it being absent in the neighboring state. Our company erases all boundaries and
limitations for our clients – if anyone wants to purchase an article that is
sold solely in the USA, we will gladly purchase it at our own cost and deliver
it to any place in the world.

Our order portfolio grows every month, and our top management has decided to
increase our staff of Personal Shopping Assistants who actually process these
orders.

At the moment we need people to work in regions. Your job is to receive and
process orders from our worldwide customers.

You'll have to work only 8-11 hours a week! Full time job also can be offered
soon. Our employees are well paid: you'll receive 4000 USD a month salary plus
commission for each transaction. Please note, that full-time employees get much
more money.

If you are interested in this offer and would like to learn more, please fill in
the form below and e-mail to: Tumba.group.job@gmail.com

Our human resource managers will contact you within 2 days.

-------------FORM-FORM-FORM-----------------
Name: ____________________
Age: _______________________
Contact phone: ___________________
Preferred call time: _____________________
-------------FORM-FORM-FORM-----------------

We found your resume at www.careerbuilder.com. This letter confirms, that your
CV has been duly processed and your skills completely meet our requirements for
Personal Shopping Assistant vacancy.

Hope to hear from you soon,
Robert Green

Macomb workers utilize retraining

College plays big role in No Worker Left Behind
By Frank DeFrank
Macomb Daily Staff Writer

Like many, April Pritchett figured her employment future was secure after 10 years with the same mortgage company.

But like many, her world was shaken when she lost that job two years ago.

"I'm no spring chicken," the Clinton Township resident said. "So when I lost my job, not only did I need job training, I needed help with my resume and preparing to look for work."

Pritchett soon found herself enrolled at Macomb Community College - the first time she'd attended school in years - where she worked to upgrade her skills to become more marketable in the 21st century.

"That (attending school) wasn't as scary as not being able to find a job," said the mother of two sons, ages 31 and 18, and grandmother of a 9-year-old. "I tried to take it as an opportunity."

Today, Pritchett is back to work, still in the mortgage business, but with a new set of skills that made her attractive to her new employer, Shore Mortgage.

"I'm learning something entirely new," she said.

Pritchett's story and similar successes were the focus of a celebration Monday at Macomb Community College in Warren marking the first anniversary of a program called No Worker Left Behind.

Triggered by the loss of high-paying manufacturing jobs, particularly in southeast Michigan, state officials, led by Gov. Jennifer Granholm, created the No Worker Left Behind initiative.

Funded by federal and state sources, the program seeks to train displaced workers, provide them with new skills and send them back into the workforce with the kind of training employers now seek.

Locally, the program is administered through the Macomb/St. Clair Michigan Works! with much of the training done at Macomb Community College.

In the past year, those two entities combined to train 2,271 No Worker Left Behind-funded workers, 423 of whom enrolled at the college.

"Macomb County is a leader in our effort to train 100,000 Michigan workers for good jobs," Granholm said in a prepared statement.

"With the hard work of our Michigan Works! agencies and their innovative partners like Macomb Community College and local employers, No Worker Left Behind will put thousands of workers in to new high-wage jobs in the years ahead."

Although many of the high-paying manufacturing jobs of the past no longer exist in southeastern Michigan, No Worker Left Behind seeks to re-train workers for industries that will take their place - in particular, so called "green jobs."

As the state's economy gradually shifts, No Worker Left Behind wants to ensure companies can access a readily available, properly trained work force, said Keith Cooley, director of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth.

"Turning Michigan into the leading state in green jobs can't happen unless we train our workers," Cooley said. "We've had to change what we do and how we do it."

To be eligible for the program, applicants must be unemployed or have received notice of termination or layoff. Employed persons whose family income is less than $40,000 also are eligible.

Participants must be at least 18 years old and not a full-time college student.

Eligible persons may receive up to two years worth of free tuition, a skills assessment administered by the Michigan Works! Agencies and must pursue a degree or occupational certificate in a high-demand occupation or emerging industry.

For more information about No Worker Left Behind, call (517) 335-1319 or visit the program's Website at www.michigan.gov/nwlb.

Click here to return to story:

August 18, 2008

Whatever they are, green jobs are on the rise

THE WORK FORCE

Doug Stites / For the Lansing State Journal

Last week, U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, visited our offices to discuss environmentally friendly ''green" jobs with businesses, educators and local legislators.

But what is a green job? How do we prepare people for the green economy? Is it already here, or do we need to prepare the skilled workers first? Are there skills from the "old" economy that are relevant in the new one?

These questions were on attendees' minds.

From energy plans to lithium ion batteries, Rogers and other Michigan lawmakers talked about what government is trying to do to promote the green economy.

From a work force standpoint, the questions raised aren't easy to answer. There are new "green" jobs in research and development, but also in advanced manufacturing, growing crops for the bio-economy and construction.

There also are existing jobs that are getting greener, from factory work to construction. But how do we decide for certain if a job is green?

Despite the questions surrounding the green economy, one thing is clear - anything "green" is gaining support in the public arena and with businesses. ( We're all for it, if we just knew what "it" is ).

Michigan State University officials testified to the need for green workers, saying businesses throughout Michigan are coming to them for talent.

Michigan Habitat for Humanity recently gathered resumes for a green building specialist and was pleasantly surprised with the talented and passionate candidates.

But representatives from the schools were quick to point out many kids still can't be what they can't see. Until dinner table conversations turn to green jobs, many students don't know they exist. Michigan has the potential to be at the forefront of new jobs and opportunities.

It's our choice whether or not to "go green." In an area where that phrase is so popular,

Where The Jobs Are -- Even Now!

NEW YORK, Aug. 16, 2008

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(CBS) It's hard not to think about jobs in this tough economy - how to keep the one you have, or how to find one if you're unemployed.

On The Early Show Saturday, financial journalist and contributor Vera Gibbons filled viewers in on the fields that are putting up "Help Wanted" signs, and on where in the country you have the best shot at finding work.

According to Gibbons:

The job outlook in the near-and-medium-term isn't very good, with the unemployment rate expected to tick up to over six percent early next year, and about 500,000 job losses for this year in all.

But there are some bright spots; you just have to know where to look.

Most openings this year, and through the next decade, for that matter, are in the two largest sectors of the economy - the professional and service categories.

Education is one of the recession-proof industries. There's a big demand for post-secondary school teachers. Some 38,000 post-secondary jobs are expected to be created this year. By 2016, nearly 400,000 jobs will be created, if you look at the ten-year projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Another field to consider: healthcare. It's expected to generate three million jobs between 2006 and 2016. The demographics are certainly on the side of this field: There's a growing population of elderly people. We're living longer, into our 80s and 90s, and we're going to need everything from new hips to prescription drugs to long-term care. So there's a big demand in healthcare.

In fact, almost half of the 30 fastest-growing occupations are concentrated in health services at all levels, from physical therapists to pharmaceutical sales reps to pharmacists and nurses. More than 50,000 nursing positions are expected to be created this year alone.

Another of the fastest-growing jobs is veterinarian. Employment of vets is expected to increase 35 percent from 2006 to 2016. That's much faster than the average for all occupations. Pets, like humans, are living longer and getting treatment for their ailments.

Financial services is a sector to mull. We've got 77 million boomers. They're starting to retire, and not only will they need health services, but also help managing their money. That means job opportunities for financial analysts and advisers. Wealth management and financial services are still strong places to build a career.

"Green" jobs are hot. Job listings on green-centric sites sustainablebusiness.com, environmentalcareer.com and idealist.org are steadily growing.

Among the top green careers: solar installers (for someone who likes physical work), sustainable design architects, fuel cell entrepreneurs (Ph.D.-types), environmental engineers, and environmental lawyers. Corporations everywhere need their help. This is a field that's expected to grow as much as 25-percent in the next decade.

Despite the economic turndown, there are parts of the country that still have some job growth, beginning in Texas. It's generating a lot of jobs, from Forth Worth to San Antonio. Education and healthcare are among the top growth industries there, all the way to Austin. Austin is home to Dell. The University of Texas largely expanded its economy to include digital media, green energy and biotech. Houston is the energy capital of the world. There are also jobs in aerospace, tech, and medical companies there. Last year, there were 10,000 jobs added in Houston.

Also, Atlanta. There are jobs in transport, distribution and financial services. There is also growth in education and healthcare. Raleigh, N.C. has one of the most highly-educated work forces in America. It's the top area for tech jobs, and is expected to expand much faster than other tech hubs. Salt Lake City is also attracting a highly educated labor pool, with jobs in tech and international business.

In Omaha, businesses are hiring and recruiting young professionals, especially in finance, healthcare, information technology. Entrepreneurs are also setting up shop there.

© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

August 16, 2008

F.D.I.C. Retirees Ride to Rescue in New Era of Bank Failures

By GERALDINE FABRIKANT

Before he retired from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation three years ago, Gary Holloway was cleaning up the remnants of the savings and loan crisis two decades earlier.

His nettlesome problems included selling leaky gas stations in Florida and the Thomas Ranch in California, also in need of a petroleum cleanup. What Mr. Holloway and his co-workers were really doing was working themselves out of jobs. The F.D.I.C. closed offices and slashed its staff in the 1990s as the savings and the loan mess wound down after hundreds of failures through the 1980s.

Activity slowed, with just 29 bank failures in the five years ended in 2004. So after 30 years with the agency, Mr. Holloway retired for a laid-back life of fishing and golfing in rural Spicewood, Tex.

At the F.D.I.C., what followed was nothing — literally. From 2005 through the end of 2006, not a single bank failed, the longest such stretch since 1993.

But in March of this year, the agency came calling for Mr. Holloway. With the credit and housing crisis in full bloom, the number of troubled banks was again on the rise. A onetime colleague asked if he would return for a year to help sort out the bad loans of banks that the F.D.I.C. was shutting down.

Mr. Holloway, 57, leapt at the chance. Now, he is on the road with a SWAT-like team that swoops in to handle collapses, sort through loans and reassure the public that their deposits are safe. The work is exciting and rewarding, and he says he just might sign on for another year.

The agency, it turns out, is operating more like the rest of America, with a just-in-time work force that grows and contracts based on its needs. The F.D.I.C., which had a staff of 4,600 at the end of 2007, has brought back about 80 people — largely retirees — and may well recruit dozens and even hundreds more people.

The extra people will help the agency, whose day-to-day activities are providing insurance for depositors, collecting premiums and regulating the nation's financial institutions, work out the loans at failing banks.

The advantages to retirees are several. Not only do they work for a specified length of time, but they have something that the younger people lack: experience overseeing failed institutions.

Commuting to faraway cities may prove tiresome, but the workers do not have the responsibilities of younger people with growing families either. Getting home is a hassle, Mr. Holloway concedes. The F.D.I.C. sends its staff on bank workouts home every two weeks, but flying and making connections mean frequent delays.

The F.D.I.C. hopes the retirees will share their knowledge with the less experienced. "We are trying to cross-train them to existing staff to work on bank failures, so we don't need a huge staff waiting around for the next bank failure," an F.D.I.C. spokesman, David Barr, said.

Even if the agency's work force continues to swell, the figure will probably be dwarfed by the nearly 23,000 — many of them part time — who were working at the F.D.I.C. at the height of the savings and loan crisis.

Few expect the scale of the current crisis to approach that of the 1980s debacle, in which 2,000 banks and savings and loans were eventually closed. Since the mortgage crisis began a year or so ago, the F.D.I.C. has seized 11 banks, the largest being IndyMac, a mortgage lender in Pasadena, Calif., last month. (The peak year during the savings and loan crisis was 1989, with 534 closings.)

"In the 1980s one-third of the S&Ls were insolvent," Mr. Barr said. "Even if you listen to the extreme reports today, it does not sound as if it will be anything like that."

For Mr. Holloway, the return to work was quick. Within six weeks of the agency's call, Mr. Holloway and three other returning retirees were working in Dallas on a strategic plan for the troubled ANB Financial, a bank in Bentonville, Ark., with $2.1 billion in assets that had moved fatefully into construction lending.

"I came in about three weeks before the bank was closed," Mr. Holloway recalled. Though he was briefly in Dallas, his real office "is on the road," he said.

The F.D.I.C. seized ANB on Friday, May 9, so that it could use the weekend to regroup and open for normal business on Monday. A total of 100 people moved into the bank's nine Arkansas branches and three offices in the West, with the mandate to separate the assets and deposits that would be transferred to the Pulaski Bank and Trust Company.

The acquisition, by a rival bank in Little Rock, was arranged by another part of the F.D.I.C. The team was careful to camouflage their identity in the days leading up to the seizure.

Mr. Holloway and his colleagues used personal credit cards, rather than cards provided by the F.D.I.C., to avoid detection. "If anybody asked why they were in town, they were told to say that they were with the Toy Shop on business," he said.

"It is kind of cloak and dagger," Mr. Holloway said. "You don't want to start a run on the bank."

From the seizure on Friday until ANB Bank reopened all its branches on Monday for customers under the Pulaski name, it was continuous work.

Mr. Holloway and five colleagues huddled in the bank's loan office in St. George, Utah. Two-thirds of ANB's loans had been made in Utah.

"I was the asset manager, and the biggest assets were in Utah," he said. "They also had offices in Jackson Hole, Wyo., and Idaho Falls, Idaho. So we consolidated them."

ANB, like other smaller banks, had been eager to grow and had determined that its local northern Arkansas housing market, heavily laced with retirees looking for new leisure homes, was saturated. It moved further west and into construction loans. Those can be among the most treacherous because it takes years to determine if the development is successful, if people will buy the properties and if the bank will be repaid.

"Between Friday night and Sunday morning, we separated the bad loans that would ultimately be sold off from the assets and deposits that would go to Pulaski Bank and Trust Company," Mr. Holloway said. In their first week of bank control, members of his team worked 60 to 70 hours.

They were making the sorts of decisions that would determine the fate of many projects under construction.

In one case, Mr. Holloway and his team decided to advance more money to a golf resort project that was nearly 90 percent complete. While he says the resort's units may not bring as much as two years ago, he is convinced they will sell.

On the other hand, "we are contemplating turning one project down where the borrowers need another $7 million to $8 million," he said. "We are about halfway through, but the builders' net worth is not as strong as we would like."

What the F.D.I.C. decides to sell is posted on its Web site. About $145 million in nonperforming loans of various types are listed for sale from ANB, along with a few properties from Arkansas to Utah.

For all the pressure and long hours, Mr. Holloway said he was invigorated by his new temp job. During the two years out of circulation, he spent more time at his lakefront home with his wife, Carla, wakeboarding and enjoying their leisure time. Partly for pay and partly to keep busy, Mr. Holloway worked one week a month — largely from home — reviewing small banks' loans for the Small Business Administration.

He finds bailing out troubled banks more exciting and fulfilling. After all, the agency is assuring people that most accounts are guaranteed up to $100,000 even in a failure, and in larger amounts in certain circumstances. About $40 million of $1.8 billion in deposits at ANB was not covered by government insurance. That meant most depositors were protected by the F.D.I.C.

"I get gratification at a job well done and knowing that people did not lose their money," Mr. Holloway said.

Then there is that bonus that all retirees can appreciate at a time when living costs have been rising and investment returns paltry He is now making as much as he did before he left the F.D.I.C., and he is collecting his pension.

No Worker Left Behind

Posted: Aug 9, 2008 11:42 AM

Michigan's no worker left behind program has been in place for one year and one local company and its workers are reaping the benefits. Demmer corporation, a metal supplier, has seen a huge increase in demand for it's products recently. As a result, over the past 14 months the company has added one thousand new qualified workers including more than 500 from the No Worker Left Behind Program. Demmer says it's a great for them and the new employees.  

Julie Mann, human resource mgr. demmer: "For the worker it's a much better fit because they get here and have skill. They're not completely on the job training and of course it helps us bring aboard our manufacturing and production process because they have the skill."

In order to qualify for the No Worker Left Behind Program, you must be at least 18 years old and a high school graduate who is currently un-employed. Your family income must be under $40,000.

For more information contact your local michigan works or an area college or university.

Need job? Thinking 'green' might help

Posted by gschroder August 07, 2008 07:44AM

DETROIT -- Gov. Jennifer Granholm's No Worker Left Behind program is expanding training offerings, even though the year-old initiative has struggled to pay tuition costs for tens of thousands of displaced workers seeking educational assistance.

Granholm said recently No Worker Left Behind, which provides as much as $10,000 in training funds for laid-off or low-income workers, will add a "green jobs initiative" to train workers in alternative-energy industries.

"Michigan's strong manufacturing history and geography make us a natural fit for the thousands of alternative energy jobs being created each year," Granholm said at a news conference.

The state is allocating $6 million to the green jobs effort.

No Worker Left Behind began in August 2007 and has served 31,000 workers who either lost their jobs or had family income of less than $40,000 a year. Granholm's goal is to retrain 100,000 workers by 2010.

Those involved in aiding unemployed and low-income workers say it's one of the best programs they've seen to help Michigan residents raise their standard of living.

"I think this represents a real effort to reach out to low-wage workers and people who need training," said Sharon Parks, president of the Michigan League for Human Services in Lansing.

But even Granholm administration officials admit the program lacks enough funding to retrain the hundreds of thousands of Michigan workers who are being displaced in an economy shifting from low-skilled manufacturing production work to service-sector jobs requiring at least a couple of years of college.

While about 11,000 people have completed training for new jobs, an additional are on waiting lists because of funding shortages.

"The need is as big as the economic crisis in Michigan," said Andy Levin, deputy director of the Department of Labor and Economic Growth.

Michigan had 428,000 unemployed workers in June and an unemployment rate of 8.5 percent, the highest in the nation.

Workers can sign up for No Worker Left Behind training at local Michigan Works! offices. They must pursue education for jobs that are considered to be in high demand by the local Michigan Works office.

No Worker Left Behind will pay up to $5,000 a year in tuition for up to two years at community colleges, universities and private-sector training schools.

The state Legislature didn't fund the program in its first year of operation because of a severe budget crisis. No Worker Left Behind relied on about $99 million in federal job-training funds.

Granholm sought $40 million in state funds for the second year of the initiative, but the Legislature approved just $15 million.

Levin said the state will continue working aggressively to find money from a variety of federal sources to pay for job training. It expects to spend $125 million in federal dollars on the program between now and August 2009.

"We're cobbling together as many federal dollars as we can," Levin said.

Local job training officials say they will be able to spend every penny of it.

"There are many more people seeking assistance in this downturn than in the 35 years I've been doing this," said Doug Stites, director of the Capital Area Michigan Works office in Lansing.

Stites, who headed state job training programs under former Gov. John Engler, said Michigan faces a massive task of retraining its Industrial Age workers for jobs in health care, information technology and other so-called knowledge industries.

"The new work force is still the old work force," he said. "We have to figure out how to retool them."

No Worker Left Behind could be a boon in providing workers to Michigan's fast-growing film industry, one filmmaker said.

Grand Rapids Community College, in conjunction with Tictock Studios in Holland and the Ottawa County Michigan Works office, is offering several film classes that prepare displaced workers for mostly entry-level jobs, such as production assistants.

Those jobs pay up to about $40,000 but offer lucrative advancement opportunities, said Hopwood DePree, Tictock's chief executive officer.

"This creates a new opportunity so that workers can stay in their home state and get involved in the film industry," he said.